Humax PVR-9300T 320GB Twin Tuner Hard Disk Recorder (HDR)

Having previously owned the 9200 model,I upgraded to the 9300T.
I have been pleased with the performance,the series link feature is just like sky plus.Many reviewers have commented on the noisy cooling fan.I must say that i barely hear the fan running,even when the TV volume is low,so i wouldn't see this as a problem.Programme recording couldn't be easier,and pausing live TV is also useful when you get that annoying phone call part way through a favourite programme.

I brought this to replace the cheap old PVR I had in the bedroom. The main reason for replacing my old one was fan noise, which meant I had to unplug it at night! I'm happy to say this one is completely silent in standby.

The LCD is exceptionally bright, I think most items like this (such as hi-fi's), have th LCD backlight turn off when in standby, I'm surprised this isn't the case here. I may put in a request to Humax to see if they can fix this with one of the firmware updates.

Most people will probably buy this for the HDMI support, but be warned - the volume control does not work through HDMI, you will have to keep your TV's remote handy. Even my old cheap PVR had programmable codes for the remote which then controlled your TV's volume! Anyhow, Humax have assured me they are currently implementing a firmware update to fix this, but they do not know when it will be ready.

The Remote is not very user-friendly - its far too long and unbalanced (you will see what I mean if you hold it in one hand and try to use it!). Also some of the common features you will want to use are hidden by what I consider to be an old-fashioned sliding plastic bit (I may just break it off though - its pointless). I'm going to buy a touch screen universal remote, because I think this remote is a pain-in-the-neck to use.

The picture quality is very good, and the responsiveness is very good too, as you would expect in this price bracket.

The menu's could do with being a bit more slick and modern looking, since the box has HDMI support and most people will use this with HD TV's I was expecting the menu's to look much better than your run-of-the mill £50 PVR. The menus could be doing with being a bit more "sky-plusy" - there is no now-and-next feature when browsing channels, only a now feature and the standard TV guide. For some reason they call recording a programme "reserving" which is a little bizarre.

Overall, it is great value and a great box. They really need to get some HCI consultants in and with the firmware tweaks that I was expecting I feel they could have easily made this both worth Five Stars, and the best PVR on the market today!

Excellent build, image and sound quality, with 320GB this PVR has more than enough space for anyone not recording HD quality TV. Despite being simple to set up and use, it does have a few minor quirks, such as a relatively noisy hard disk which vents through the fan to create audible hum. It also has a habit of cutting off the first few seconds of some recorded broadcasts, and the aerial input seems slightly prone to RF interference from other electrical equipment. These are minor issues in everyday use.

Overall a fantastic package, and yes, twin tuners. This lets you watch or record one channel while recording up to two others, and even pause live TV. This model also has an HDMI port for HD upscaling, worth it if you have an equivalent port on your TV.

Does Humax make the best PVRs

I have just taken delivery of this fantastic little gadget in time for Wimbledon and have not regretted the purchase at all.

It seems there have been a few gripes about fan noise from this PVR but I can honestly say that the unit I have is completely silent. The fan comes on initially when switched on from standby but then goes to sleep.

Also it appears that some people have had issues with the loading time for the EPG. I have had no issues and mine loads immediately. I wonder if any delay may be down to signal strength depreciation depending on where you live.

I have not found any other PVRs out there for this price which have an integrated twin tuner, which I feel is essential. OK so it does not have a DVD recorder but more than makes up for this with a huge array of very useful features for £169.

Programming and set-up is a doddle, and the remote, although large, is very easy to use. For anyone with limited finger mobility the large buttons are a good advantage.

Also the on-screen menu system is easy to navigate and it is worth spending time looking at all the instructions as there are a lot of one touch operations available if you know where to find them.

One thing worth noting is that both a scart lead and HDMI lead are included in the box so no need to order these as separate items.

All in all a fantastic buy. The only downside is that my wife can now record up to 200 hours of Neighbours and Home & Away!

Upgraded from a 4 year old 9200T to this new model (my old unit's clock card failed after 4 years - hence the upgrade.)
The unit supplied to me was clearly the latest spec of this machine as it has the latest firmware and no USB port on the rear (old 9300T's have an UNCONNECTED USB port.)
The fan is not noisy at all on this unit. It comes on during boot up for approx 5 seconds then remains off during use. The only noise the unit makes is the HDD which is hardly noticeable, even when my TV is on mute.
Fantastic unit, great price, great build quality and reliability.
Why anyone would buy anything else when in the market for a freeview PVR is beyond me!
Although Humax might not have big name status, they certainly ake the best freeview PVRs on the market.
You won't be disappointed I'm sure.